Redefining and Developing New Opportunities for Luxury Marketing: XIAOHONGSHU and VOGUE Business Host China Digital Excellence Summit in Paris

PARIS, March 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- China's leading social media and lifestyle platform XIAOHONGSHU x VOGUE Business host the China Digital Excellence Summit and Gala Dinner during Paris Fashion Week 2024, on March 4th and 5th. The event, a nexus for aesthetic appreciation, cultural exchange, and creative inspiration, convened in Paris, uniting industry frontrunners from luxury, fashion, beauty, and cosmetics, etc. with digital marketing and advertising experts. Together, they delved into the nuances of digital engagement strategies for luxury brands targeting the Chinese market. The discussions centered on formulating effective digital strategies for luxury brands in the Chinese market, drawing on XIAOHONGSHU's unique platform that combines a content-rich community ecosystem with a democratized access to fashion. The event aimed to equip international luxury brands with fresh insights for engaging the Chinese market.

Luxury products resonate with timeless aesthetic narratives, with their splendor transcending the gaps of time to craft classics even as trends change over time. China has consistently served as an essential growth engine and strategic market for the luxury sector. According to data from Bain & Company, mainland Chinese luxury consumers are forecasted to account for 35-40% of the world's total by 2030, with the mainland's market share expanding to 24-26%.

In today's dynamic market landscape, the profiles and purchasing behaviors of Chinese luxury consumers are evolving. The youth demographic is emerging as a significant force in the luxury market, utilizing high-end products as mediums for self-expression and individuality. At the same time, trends within the wider consumer base are evolving alongside shifts in their socio-economic profiles, prompting a push towards increased specialization and diversification. The emergence of these new trends heralds an increasing number of possibilities as well as challenges. To harness the vast opportunities presented by the expanding Chinese market, global luxury brands are pivoting towards digital transformation and prioritizing their online marketing strategies. XIAOHONGSHU boasts capabilities in forecasting fashion trends, providing insights into consumer preferences, fostering emotional connections with consumers, developing localization strategies, and driving digital innovation. These advantages have positioned XIAOHONGSHU as the platform of choice for brands aiming to engage with the Chinese market and unlock new opportunities for growth.

The summit was attended by an array of sector trailblazers from XIAOHONGSHU, including Xuanshuang, General Manager of the Luxury, Fashion & Beauty Division; Qingchen, Head of Luxury; and Menghan, Head of Fashion Content. Joining them were Lauren Indvik, Editor-in-Chief and Head of the International Section at VOGUE Business; Adrian Corsin, Managing Director of couture house Mugler; Kenneth Kralick, VP of E-Business at Moët Hennessy; Alison Bringé, Chief Marketing Officer at Launchmetrics; Emilie Bénéteau, Global Influence Marketing, Social Media & PR Director at ba&sh; and Rahul Titus, Global Head of Influence at Ogilvy Group. Senior executives from leading international groups —among them, Kering, Richemont, LVMH, Lanvin, and Puig—as well as from prestigious independent brands including CHANEL, AMI Paris, and Christian Louboutin, were in attendance. In addition, over 100 global brand executives and industry marketing experts gathered to discuss China's digital creative marketing trends, and share perspectives, sparking new fashion inspirations.

The summit commenced with a keynote interview featuring VOGUE Business' Paris correspondent Laure Guilbault and Mugler's managing director Adrian Corsin. During the interview, Adrian shared insights into the company's strategy for the Chinese market and highlighted the critical role of social media platforms and the novel approach he deployed in acquainting Chinese consumers with the brand's iconic designs. 

The event brought together fashion luminaries, Anusha Couttigane, Head of Consulting at VOGUE Business, Kenneth Kralick from Moët Hennessy and Emilie Bénéteau from ba&sh, who discussed strategies for conveying brand narratives and establishing brand values through partnerships with Chinese artists. They also explored ways to leverage Chinese social media platforms to attract and appeal to a younger consumer base.

Yiling Pan, Associate Editorial Director at VOGUE Business in China, joined Menghan, Alison Bringé, and Rahul Titus in a discussion on the evolution of China's social media landscape and the impact of the influencer economy on luxury marketing. Their conversation unpacked the significant role of content creators and key opinion leaders (KOLs), with a particular emphasis on the social media and influencer marketing ecosystem in China. Menghan spotlighted the wealth of user-generated content (UGC) on XIAOHONGSHU, which has turned the platform into a bastion of diverse, high-caliber, and authentic narratives, positioning it as an international fashion platform with a unique Chinese perspective. She further explained that in this context, both content creators and celebrities have the potential to emerge as influential purchasers who engage with users through their content on the platform. And she further highlighted how both influencers and celebrities are becoming pivotal in engaging with audiences and driving brand conversions through compelling content and targeted live streams.

XIAOHONGSHU's head of luxury Qingchen captivated attendees with her presentation, "Embracing the Future of Luxury Marketing with XIAOHONGSHU." Qingchen outlined effective marketing strategies for luxury brands, emphasizing XIAOHONGSHU's pivotal role in connecting with China's affluent consumer base. She underscored the platform's dedication to meeting the emotional demands of Chinese shoppers and swaying their purchasing choices. By showcasing diverse fashion scenarios, facilitating genuine content engagement, and provoking fashion forward thinking that's deeply influenced by lifestyle trends, XIAOHONGSHU champions the concept that anything can entice consumer interest. With a consumer-centric approach at its core, and incorporating partnerships with influencers, digital event marketing, and omnichannel strategies, XIAOHONGSHU has crafted an all-encompassing approach to elevate luxury brands into the digital age of marketing.

Navigating Current Trends and Captivating Audiences

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, the flux of novel offerings renders consumer attention a coveted yet elusive asset, challenging brands to not only capture but retain consumer interest. The quest to make a memorable impact on Chinese consumers and forge meaningful connections presents a formidable hurdle for luxury labels.

XIAOHONGSHU, a pioneering force in fashion and lifestyle trends, boasts an impressive network of over 80 million content creators, with UGC accounting for 90% of its offerings. This authentic, wide-ranging, and exceptional content, coupled with XIAOHONGSHU's distinctive "content seeding" approach, allows the platform to probe into consumer psyches and initiate movements that define trends. Serving as a critical touchpoint for engagement, XIAOHONGSHU empowers luxury brands to tap into emerging trends and buzzworthy topics, facilitating a deeper understanding of target demographics. This, in turn, equips brands with a wealth of insights for nuanced content-driven marketing strategies.

In a groundbreaking collaboration with VOGUE Business, XIAOHONGSHU unveiled the 2024 Luxury Product Trends White Paper & Crowd Inspiration Illustration, spotlighting groundbreaking luxury marketing case studies and crystallizing two dominant trends shaping China's luxury sector: fully holistic localization efforts and "contrary to consensus" cross-border marketing programs. The strategy of holistic localization encapsulates luxury brands' strategies to immerse themselves within the Chinese cultural narrative, fostering profound connections and cultural resonance with local audiences through genuine engagement and inventive marketing strategies. The "contrary to consensus" approach redefines cross-border marketing by forging unconventional partnerships, ensuring standout first impressions, and captivating the younger demographic amidst intensifying global competition.

Leveraging a vast pool of UGC across the multitude of scenarios available on the XIAOHONGSHU platform while tapping into the latest fashion and style directions from luxury brands, the collaboration delivers an insightful forecast into 2024's luxury fashion trends. Highlighting "practicality," "functionality," and "multi-scenario" as the upcoming year's trend cornerstones, the white paper offers a forward-looking perspective on the evolving landscape of apparel, handbags, footwear, timepieces, and jewelry, guiding industry stakeholders through the next wave of luxury fashion creations.

Creating Major Brand Events, Transmitting Brand Values

XIAOHONGSHU's vibrant community of 300 million monthly active users, half of whom are the coveted post-95s generation from China's metropolitan centers, has become a cornerstone for luxury brand strategies aiming to connect with affluent, style-conscious consumers yearning for elevated lifestyles. This demographic alignment has positioned XIAOHONGSHU as a critical platform for luxury communication and target audience engagement, leveraging its "product seeding" approach and a robust ecosystem of content creators to drive strategic brand initiatives. The platform's capacity to host significant brand events has increasingly made it a focal point for luxury labels looking to amplify their market presence.

Notably, XIAOHONGSHU facilitated GUCCI's pivot to a digital format for its 2024 early spring collection, offering an exclusive cloud-based front row experience that bridged pre-show anticipation with immersive live viewing and post-event engagement, significantly boosting GUCCI's visibility. Similarly, Chaumet harnessed the platform to launch "TIARA DREAM", an immersive experience centered around its iconic tiaras, featuring innovative try-on tech and influencer collaborations that magnified the event's reach and user engagement through organic content sharing.

For luxury brands, XIAOHONGSHU has transcended its role as a marketing platform to become a key player in product launches and brand storytelling. Seasonal gifting moments, particularly, offer a strategic opportunity for brands to deepen consumer relationships through culturally resonant campaigns and optimally position their latest products. Notably, during the Spring Festival, illustrious names like Loewe unveiled their 2024 Year of the Dragon limited collections, with the 2024 Jade series paying homage to the revered art of Chinese jade carving, complete with collaborations with master jade carvers to design and produce a limited-edition assortment of handcrafted jade pendants. This move sparked fervent conversations on XIAOHONGSHU, with users eagerly dissecting the Loewe Jade series. Such discussions delve deeper into the ethos of luxury brands, aiding in the broader dissemination of their foundational values within the Chinese market and enhancing the perceived value of luxury brands.

Omni-Channel Strategies: Transforming Luxury Brand Engagement

In today's market, the trajectory for luxury brands aiming to solidify their footprint in China heavily relies on their expertise in digital marketing. Navigating between the reverence for traditional retail and the dynamism of new media, these brands are mastering omni-channel strategies to sync with the digital-first lifestyle of contemporary luxury shoppers.

XIAOHONGSHU is playing a crucial role in enabling luxury brands to expand their reach, offering a platform where personalized content and services meet consumers at every touchpoint, around the clock. The platform excels in narrating brand heritage, spotlighting design sophistication, and amplifying the allure of luxury labels. Furthermore, XIAOHONGSHU provides a bridge for brands keen on translating their ethos and experiential offerings into real-world interactions. Through strategic online engagement, brands invite their audiences to immerse in the tangible world of luxury, facilitating a fluid journey from digital discovery to physical brand experiences. This approach not only redefines brand stewardship but also propels business innovation in the luxury sector.

XIAOHONGSHU has developed an innovative Key Opinion Sales (KOS) ecosystem, positioning itself as a vital platform for luxury brands to expand their consumer outreach. With an extensive network of over 100,000 corporate guide accounts and a rich library with nearly 2 million pieces of content, XIAOHONGSHU effectively merges the intrinsic appeal of luxury goods with the expansive reach of digital marketing through the KOS ecosystem. The approach enables direct engagement between brands' physical stores and their online presence, offering tailored communication and services that enrich the consumer experience and address the geographical limitations of traditional luxury retail outlets. The KOS system significantly enhances customer acquisition, accelerates the purchasing process, and deepens the connection between brands and their clientele, ultimately fostering greater brand loyalty and recognition.

Additionally, XIAOHONGSHU's mini-programs, a concept recently rolled out on the platform, have become a versatile tool for luxury brands, functioning as a dynamic interface between high-end labels and discerning consumers. Prestigious houses like Dior and Vacheron Constantin have already harnessed the potential of these mini-programs, leveraging their capabilities for brand storytelling, conversion, and engagement. The mini-programs facilitate an immersive exploration of brand values, fostering a deeper connection with consumers through targeted content and interactive experiences. At the same time, their integrated e-commerce features expedite the journey from discovery to purchase, ensuring a seamless transactional experience for the luxury shopper.

XIAOHONGSHU is increasingly recognized by luxury brands as a crucial gateway to understanding the complex emotional landscape of Chinese consumers. The platform offers an unparalleled blend of user diversity, authentic storytelling, effective communication, and powerful engagement strategies. As a trend-setter in fashion, XIAOHONGSHU provides luxury marketers with deep insights into consumer behavior, enabling them to tailor their strategies to meet the nuanced needs of their target audience, convey the essence of their brand, and expand their reach. Through XIAOHONGSHU, luxury brands are well-positioned to revolutionize their marketing strategies. By harnessing the unique features of the platform, they can bolster their major marketing campaigns, reinforcing and amplifying their brand influence.

As we move further into 2024, the luxury industry continues to embody the dreams of a refined existence. XIAOHONGSHU is poised to remain a key player in the industry's growth, bridging the gap between luxury brands and consumers, navigating future challenges, and advancing toward new frontiers of luxury engagement.

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